Best of all: Vote now for Best Overall Restaurant in Central Minnesota

Last year, the 2017 Best Overall Restaurant award was presented to the Coyote Moon Grille during the Best of Central Minnesota Awards program at The Grands at Mulligans in Sartell.(Photo: Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@stcloudtimes.com)Buy Photo

ST. CLOUD — The best of the best will rise above the rest: It's time to vote for the 2018 Best Overall Restaurant in the St. Cloud Times' Best Of Central Minnesota readers' survey.

Throughout July, Central Minnesotans cast their votes in nearly 90 categories, identifying their favorite businesses and service providers they feel are the best of our community.

Now, we've taken the top three vote-getters for each Eats category award and pitted them against one another to see which local restaurant will be crowned the 2018 Best Overall Restaurant in Central Minnesota.

Voting for Best Overall Restaurant is open from Tuesday, July 31 through 10 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 7 — just one week! If you want to see your favorite place take home the ultimate title, it's important that you get your vote in.

Here's how to vote:

Visit www.bestofcentralmn.com.

Click on the item that says "Vote Here For Best Overall Restaurant."

Register to vote using a valid email address.

Select the restaurant you feel deserves to be crowned the 2018 Best Overall Restaurant in Central Minnesota. Click "Vote," and you're done!

How many times can I vote?

Just once!

The rules in place for the general contest are also in place for Best Overall Restaurant: You are allowed to vote once per registered email address, and multiple votes from the same computer or IP address will be limited and subject to examination to prevent ballot-stuffing.

I'm a restaurant owner or employee. Why isn't my restaurant on the Best Overall ballot? Can I get it on there now?

There is no open nomination period for Best Overall Restaurant. If a restaurant did not place in the top three for any Eats awards, it will not be eligible for the Best Overall Restaurant award.

Unfortunately, if a restaurant does not appear on the Best Overall Restaurant ballot, that means it was not voted a winner or finalist for any Eats awards.

Best Of Central Minnesota is a readers' survey. The Times does not manipulate vote totals in any way, nor do we place restaurants on the Best Overall ballot that have not placed in the top three in an Eats category. The only way to ensure your business is on the Best Overall ballot is to be among the top vote-getters — so next year, be sure to encourage everyone you know to vote for your business!

Mar and Mike Dols, pictured here in the dining area of their restaurant, Coyote Moon Grille, took home the Best Overall Restaurant award in 2017.(Photo: Jason Wachter, jwachter@stcloudtimes.com)

Do you award Finalists and Runners-Up for the Best Overall Restaurant?

No.

While the Best Of contest as a whole aims to identify the best local businesses as selected by our readers, the Best Overall Restaurant award is particularly special.

The Eats awards have long been the most competitive awards in the whole of the Best Of contest — it's clear that Central Minnesotans care deeply about their dining experiences! The Best Overall Restaurant award was created to reflect that interest in finding the best dining experience in our community by highlighting the absolute best of the best for that year.

To truly put the spotlight on that business, we have chosen not to award Finalists and Runners-Up for the Best Overall Restaurant award.

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The kitchen staff prepares to serve for than 600 guests at Coyote Moon Grille Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017 in St. Cloud. Coyote Moon Grille took home the Best Overall Restaurant award in 2017.(Photo: Jason Wachter, jwachter@stcloudtimes.com)

When will the winner be announced?

The Best Overall Restaurant winner will be announced at our exclusive Best Of Central Minnesota awards gala on Thursday, Sept. 13, and to the public at www.bestofcentralmn.com at 10 that night. The Best Of 2018 magazine containing all winners will hit newsstands Friday, Sept. 14.

Follow Alyssa Zaczek on Twitter: @sctimesalyssa, email her at azaczek@stcloudtimes.com, or call her at (320) 255-8761.